|
I've seen people try to
drive away with their landing gear still down. And I know people who have dropped their fifth wheel on the pickup bed because
they forgot to drop the landing gear. Following a systematic procedure each time you hitch and unhitch will minimize the chance
you will have similar problems.
Hitching
- Adjust 5th wheel kingpin to proper hitch height
- Drop truck tailgate ... if you don't have a special
tailgate.*
- Open locking bar on hitch
- Back under trailer until hitch engages kingpin
- Secure hitch locking bar on the fifth wheel hitch
- Put truck in forward gear (don't give it any fuel/acceleration)
and
'bump' the hitch to make sure it is locked
- Connect umbilical cord and breakaway switch cable
- Check trailer lights and brakes
- Raise truck tailgate *
- Raise Landing gear
- Remove wheel chocks from trailer wheels
Unhitching
- Pull into the site/storage, and situate the trailer
where you want it.
- Chock the wheels tightly so the trailer will not
move
- Drop the landing gear (important!!!!) Do this
first then you won't forget!
- Disconnect the umbilical cord and breakaway switch
cable
- Drop the truck tailgate... if you don't have a
special tailgate. *
- Gently put your truck into reverse... don't give
it any fuel/acceleration.
This effectively moves the kingpin off the locking bar which will allow you to easily disengage
it.
- Step on brake and and apply parking brake.
- Disengage the locking bar and unhitch
- Drive away
- Raise truck tailgate *
- Adjust 5th wheel height to proper front to back
level
|
